End uncertainty

THE Country Land and Business Association has called for the Department for Energy and Climate Change to end the uncertainty in the renewables industry.

The Association says the government should stop its appeal against the High Court’s ruling that its plans to cut solar FIT payments on projects completed after 12 December 2011 were unlawful.

The Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected attempts to overturn the ruling but the Government is seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

CLA North regional director Dorothy Fairburn said: “Many CLA members lost out on the higher rate FIT payments when the Government illegally rushed through sudden payment cuts to the solar feed-in tariff.

“We regret the Government still intends to appeal, even though two courts have now ruled it behaved unlawfully.

“We urge Ministers to stop wasting time and money on further appeals and stick to their own contingency plan. This will reduce the solar tariff for installations completed after 3 March and is the only way to end the uncertainty that is damaging investment.”